Rotary engine.



No.756,904. PATENTED APR.12,1904. P.STEPHAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1903.

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Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND STEPHAN, OF HILDESHEIM, GERMANY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,904, dated April 12, 1904..

Application filed November 7, 1903. Serial No. 180,213. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND STEPHAN, a

. subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Hildesheim, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve- Gear for Rotary Steam-Engines; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had. to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to improvements in rotary steam-engines; and it consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts of whichit is composed, all as will be hereinafter more fully explained, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The annexed drawings, to which reference is made, fully illustrate my invention, in which Figure 1 represents a side view, part sectional, of my device. Fig. 2 is a top or plan View of the same, also partly in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a side view of the piston detached from the casing, and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing in profile the cam-surface.

Referring by letter to. the accompanying drawings, A designates the piston, mounted upon the transverse axle a and which rotates in the circular space within the casing g, and said piston is provided on one of its faces with a double-cam groove 6 Z), which, with the intervening portion of the piston-surface, forms a circular cam. (Shown in profile development in Fig. 5.)

On the outer face of the inclosing plate a are provided two sockets H, in each of which a block 0 has a sliding movement, the same being forced inwardly by a coiled spring m, said blocks operating upon the twin cams in the face of the rotary piston aforesaid. These blocks 0 0 are secured to the inner end of the rods a a, while the outer ends of said rods are pivoted to one end of a lever it, that is pivoted about. its center to a post or support d, the opposite end of said lever being pivoted to the outer end of the valve-stem 0', working in the cylinder 6. The steam entering the cylinder by these valves operates in the usual manner against the projecting parts of the rotary piston and against the spring-actuated plates ff, projecting into the cylindrical space, forcing the piston to rotate in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1.

The

exhaust for the steam can be effected in any 1 well-known manner. For instance, the projections on the piston may uncover exhaustslots in the walls of the casing when the desired amount of expansion has taken place, or a second cam circlemay be provided on the piston-face for operating exhaust-valves similar to the steam-valves 6. These latter will not be described further, as their arrangement Will depend upon many varying circumstances, and those skilled in the art can readily construct the same.

It will be seen that the steam-valves need not necessarily be opened for the same periods, although their slides 0 have similar movements, as one valve may admit less steam than the other valve when the block 0 is in its outermost position, and it may be closed sooner than the other valve on the return movement of the sliding block. By increasing the length of the slots Z2 6 or by reducing their length by the insertion of the blocks a 2' any desired degree of expansion may be obtained.

Set-screws k is are provided upon the projections, the ends of which engage the notch in the block 0, whereby said block or blocks may be locked'against the pressure of the spring at on the stem in their outermost position, thus closing the valves and preventing the engine from working. When the set-screws are withdrawn from the notch in the blocks, the coiled spring on the stem forces the blocks into engagement with the cams on the face of the piston.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination with the casing, provided with the spring-actuated plates and inlets for the steam,of the cylindrical piston having the twin circular cams upon the face thereof, the notched blocks, en-

gaging said cams and the springs for forcing the blocks against the face of the cams, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination with the casing provided with the steam-inlets and spring-actuated plates, of the cylindrical piston provided upon its face with twin circular cams, the notched blocks engaging said cams, the springs, for forcing said blocks in contact with said cams, the set-screws, steamvalves and lever, said lever pivoted about its center to the support or post and pivoted at one end to the stem of the block and at the opposite end to the stem of the steam-valve, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination with the casing provided with the upper hollow projections, spring-actuated plates, steaminlets, steam-valves and hollow side projections, of the cylindrical piston provided upon its face with twin cams, the notchedblocks engaging said cams and secured to the inner end of the stems; the outer end thereof being pivoted to the. lever, the pressure-spring engaging said blocks and the set-screws, adapted to engage the notch in said blocks, as shown and described.

I. In a rotary steam-engine,the combination with the spring-actuated plates, hollow upper and side projections, of the piston having twin cams, the blocks, engaging said cams, and provided with the notch and spring, thumb-screws, pivoted lever and steam-valves, all as shown and described. I

5. In a rotary steanrengine, the combination of the casing, spring-actuated plates, piston having the twin cams, the notched blocks, spring therefor, thumb-screws, steam-valves and pivoted lever, one end of which being pivoted to the stem of the steam-valve and the opposite end thereof pivoted to the outer end of the block-stem, all as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND STEPHAN. WVitnesses LEONORE RAsoH, H. HALL HALL. 

